WHAT WAS BIG AT THE BOX OFFICE

Rankings of Box-Office Blockbusters have been compiled from various recent sources (through to February 1999).

In the unadjusted (for inflation) list of box office-champs, few films that are classics or films from Hollywood's Golden Era are included in this top-heavy list of recent films. Blockbusters, special effects wonders, films with sequels and expensive campaign and publicity ads fill the positions. (Notice that there are only a few films before the early 1970s in the unadjusted list.)

The adjusted list takes into account inflationary factors such as ticket prices and any re-issues or re-releases, and is more reflective of the film's actual appeal.

TOP 100 AMERICAN FILMS
 (UNADJUSTED AND ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION)


UNADJUSTED FOR INFLATION

  1. Titanic (1997)
  2. Star Wars 1 The Phantom Menace (1999)
  3. Jurassic Park [1993]
  4. Independence Day (1996)
  5. Star Wars (1977)
  6. The Lion King (1994)
  7. E. T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
  8. Forrest Gump(1994)
  9. Sixth Sense, The (1999)
  10. Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
  11. Men in Black (1997)
  12. Armageddon (1998)
  13. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
  14. Home Alone(1997)
  15. Ghost (1990)
  16. Terminator 2 (1991)
  17. Indiana Jones and the last Crusade(1989)
  18. Twister(1996)
  19. Toy Story 2 (1999)
  20. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
  21. Aladdin(1992)
  22. Jaws (1975)
  23. Return of the Jedi (1983)
  24. Matrix, The (1999)
  25. Mission Impossible(1996)
  26. Pretty woman (1990)
  27. Tarzan (1999)
  28. Dances with Wolves (1990)
  29. Mrs Doubtfire(1993)
  30. Mummy, The(1978)
  31. Batman (1989)
  32. Rain Man (1988)
  33. Bodyguard, The (1992)
  34. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
  35. Raiders of the lost Ark (1981)
  36. Godzilla (1998)
  37. Grease (1978)
  38. Fugitive, The (1993)
  39. Tootsie (1982)
  40. True Lies (1994)
  41. Die Hard: with a Vengence(1995)
  42. Notting Hill (1999)
  43. There's Something About Mary (1998)
  44. Flintstones (1994)
  45. Top Gun (1986)
  46. Basic Instinct(1992)
  47. World Is Not Enough, The (1999)
  48. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
  49. GoldenEye (1995
  50. Back To The Future (1985)
  51. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
  52. Deep Impact (1998)
  53. Pocahontas (1995)
  54. Top Gun(1986)
  55. Tormorrow Never Dies (1997)
  56. Batman Forever (1995)
  57. Apollo 13 (1995)
  58. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
  59. American Beauty (1999)
  60. The Rock (1996)
  61. Se7en (1995)
  62. Crocodile Dundee (1986)
  63. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
  64. The Mask (1994)
  65. Fatal Attraction (1987)
  66. Lethal Weapon 3 (1992
  67. Schinder's List (1993)
  68. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
  69. Airforce One(1997)
  70. Austin Powers 2 (1999)
  71. Runaway Bride (1999)
  72. Liar Liar (1997)
  73. Mulan (1998)
  74. Ransom (1996)
  75. Hook (1997)
  76. As Good As It Gets (1997)
  77. Rocky 4 (1985)
  78. Rambo (1985)
  79. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
  80. Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)
  81. Look Who's Talking (1989)
  82. The Exorcist (1973)
  83. Ghostbusters (1984)
  84. Doctor Dolittle (1998)
  85. Coming to America (1988)
  86. My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)
  87. Saturday Night Fever (1977)
  88. Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)
  89. Speed (1994)
  90. Batman Returns (1992)
  91. Casper (1995)
  92. 101 Dalmatians (1961)
  93. Shakespeare in Love (1998)
  94. Home Alone 2 (1992)
  95. Jerry Maguire (1996)
  96. Silence Of The Lambs (1991)
  97. The Nutty Professor (1996)
  98. The Green Mile (1999)
  99. Bambi (1942)
  100. Indecent Proposal (1993)

ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION

  1. Gone With the Wind (1939)
  2. Star Wars (1977)
  3. The Sound of Music (1965)
  4. E. T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
  5. Titanic (1997)
  6. The Ten Commandments (1956)
  7. Jaws (1975)
  8. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
  9. The Jungle Book (1967)
  10. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
  11. Ben-Hur (1959)
  12. 101 Dalmatians (1961)
  13. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
  14. Return of the Jedi (1983)
  15. The Exorcist (1973)
  16. The Sting (1973)
  17. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
  18. Jurassic Park (1993)
  19. The Graduate (1967)
  20. Fantasia (1941)
  21. The Godfather (1972)
  22. Forrest Gump (1994)
  23. Mary Poppins (1964)
  24. The Lion King (1994)
  25. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977/1980)
  26. Sleeping Beauty (1959)
  27. Grease (1978)
  28. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
  29. Bambi (1942)
  30. Independence Day (1996)
  31. Love Story (1970)
  32. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
  33. Pinocchio (1940)
  34. Home Alone (1990)
  35. Cleopatra (1963)
  36. Airport (1970)
  37. Ghostbusters (1984)
  38. American Graffiti (1973)
  39. The Robe (1953)
  40. Around the World in 80 Days (1956)
  41. Blazing Saddles (1974)
  42. Batman (1989)
  43. The Bells of St. Mary's (1945)
  44. The Towering Inferno (1974)
  45. National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)
  46. The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)
  47. My Fair Lady (1964)
  48. Let's Make Love (1960)
  49. Back to the Future (1985)
  50. Superman (1978)
  51. Men in Black (1997)
  52. Smokey and the Bandit (1977)
  53. Tootsie (1982)
  54. West Side Story (1961)
  55. Lady and the Tramp (1955)
  56. Twister (1996)
  57. Rocky (1976)
  58. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
  59. The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
  60. The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957)
  61. It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)
  62. Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
  63. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
  64. M*A*S*H (1970)
  65. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
  66. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
  67. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
  68. Aladdin (1992)
  69. Ghost (1990)
  70. Duel in the Sun (1946)
  71. House of Wax (1953)
  72. Rear Window (1954)
  73. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
  74. Terminator 2 (1991)
  75. Sergeant York (1941)
  76. Top Gun (1986)
  77. "Crocodile" Dundee (1986)
  78. Armageddon (1998)
  79. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921)
  80. Young Frankenstein (1974)
  81. Peter Pan (1953)
  82. Every Which Way But Loose (1978)
  83. Funny Girl (1968)
  84. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
  85. The Caine Mutiny (1954)
  86. The Fugitive (1993)
  87. Gremlins (1984)
  88. Toy Story (1995)
  89. Jaws 2 (1978)
  90. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
  91. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? (1968)
  92. Dances With Wolves (1990)
  93. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
  94. Three Men and a Baby (1987)
  95. Psycho (1960)
  96. Rambo: First Blood Part 2 (1985)
  97. Batman Forever (1995)
  98. Pretty Woman (1990)
  99. Earthquake (1974)
  100. Rain Man (1988)
   

TOP FILMS BY DECADE



TOP TEN FILMS OF THE 1930s

  1. Gone With The Wind (1939)
  2. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
  3. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
  4. King Kong (1933)
  5. San Francisco (1936)
  6. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)*
  7. Lost Horizon (1937) *
  8. Hell's Angels (1930) *
  9. Maytime (1937)
  10. City Lights (1931)
* tie



TOP TEN FILMS OF THE 1940s

  1. Bambi (1942)
  2. Fantasia (1941)
  3. Cinderella (1949)
  4. Pinocchio (1940)
  5. Song of the South (1946)
  6. Mom and Dad (1944)
  7. Samson and Delilah (1949)
  8. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) *
  9. Duel in the Sun (1946) *
  10. This is the Army (1943)
* tie



TOP TEN FILMS OF THE 1950s

  1. The Ten Commandments (1956)
  2. Lady and the Tramp (1955)
  3. Peter Pan (1953)
  4. Ben-Hur (1959)
  5. Around the World in 80 Days (1956)
  6. Sleeping Beauty (1959)
  7. South Pacific (1958) *
  8. The Robe (1953) *
  9. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
  10. This is Cinerama (1952)
* tie



TOP TEN FILMS OF THE 1960s

  1. The Sound of Music (1965)
  2. 101 Dalmatians (1961)
  3. The Jungle Book (1967)
  4. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
  5. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
  6. Mary Poppins (1964)
  7. The Graduate (1967)
  8. My Fair Lady (1964)
  9. Thunderball (1965)
  10. Funny Girl (1968)



TOP TEN FILMS OF THE 1970s

  1. Star Wars (1977)
  2. Jaws (1975)
  3. Grease (1978)
  4. The Exorcist (1973)
  5. The Godfather (1972)
  6. Superman (1978)
  7. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977/80)
  8. The Sting (1973)
  9. Saturday Night Fever (1977)
  10. National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)



TOP TEN FILMS OF THE 1980s

  1. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
  2. Return of the Jedi (1983)
  3. Batman (1989)
  4. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
  5. Ghostbusters (1984)
  6. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
  7. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
  8. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
  9. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
  10. Back to the Future (1985)



TOP TEN FILMS OF THE 1990s

  1. Titanic (1997)
  2. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999)
  3. Jurassic Park (1993)
  4. Independence Day (1996)
  5. The Lion King (1994)
  6. Forrest Gump (1994)
  7. Sixth Sense, The (1999)
  8. Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
  9. Men In Black(1997)
  10. Armageeddon (1998)
  11. Home Alone (1990)


Information kindly obtained from Filmsite.org

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